Art Guild draws crowd at Jerry’s Art Fest

This colleges Art Guild sets up a tent at Jerrys Art Fest Oct. 3, 2016 in front of Jerrys Artarama. This colleges Art Guild sold $200 in artwork, doubling their sales from the previous event in March. Photo by Miranda A. Holden

Students’ doubled art sales from the March event.

By Miranda A. Holden

sac-ranger@alamo.edu

The Art Guild sold five original pieces and 10 pieces by previous visual arts students Saturday at Jerry’s Art Fest to raise money.

Jerry’s Art Fest is an art sale held twice a year at Jerry’s Artarama, 7059 San Pedro Ave.

Ten pieces of artwork were abandoned by former students and donated by the visual arts program to help fund the student organization.

The guild sold $200 in artwork, doubling their sales from the previous event in March.

Twenty percent of sales, $40, goes to the Art Guild for funding the event and art supplies. The remaining profit goes into the artists’ pockets.

A few attendees who were interested in future artwork by the students left their contact information, Art Guild President Justin Mendez said Saturday.

More people attended this event and the guild had a lot more support this time around, Mendez said.

Mendez learned how to present artwork and operate an art show properly.

“The great thing about this event it’s free for the public,” Mendez said. “It’s a great opportunity to get our work shown and our name out there.”

Fine Arts sophomore Anaia Alejandro sold a graphite drawing for $25 to the store manager of Jerry’s Artarama, George Rodriguez.

“I was so excited because he’s going to display my work in his store,” Alejandro said Saturday.

Since the last event at Jerry’s, she has learned how to display artwork and interact with people.

“I’m very self-conscious. When people tell me they love my work, it builds my self-esteem as a new artist,” she said.

She learned from her peers how to engage in conversation with people and how to represent her work to someone interested in purchasing.

Rodriguez said students improved their ability to sell artwork by competing with professional artists.

The last event drew over 300 attendees, while Saturday’s event drew over a hundred.

Rodriguez said he hosts free events to allow young artists to make a profit from their artwork.

“I don’t want to charge them for the space. These artists are my customers and my friends,” he said.

Rodriguez said he looks forward to hosting his sixth art festival in March, and the Art Guild will be welcome.